AC Milan, Tottenham beaten in Ganso bid

Rio de Janeiro: Sao Paulo has reportedly beaten AC Milan and Tottenham Hotspur to sign Brazil international midfielder Paulo Henrique Ganso.

The 22-year-old`s current club Santos has agreed in principal to an $11.5 million deal with Brazilian Serie A rivals Sao Paulo, reports Xinhua. "Negotiations are well advanced but we still can`t say the deal is done," Sao Paulo spokesman Carlos Leco said. "We have a tradition of signing great players from Santos like Ailton Lira and Pita. We`re hoping that Ganso will be no different." Ganso, who joined Santos as a 15-year-old in 2005, fell out with senior officials at the club after rejecting a new contract offer in June. He has played eight international matches for Brazil and was given the country`s prized No.10 shirt during last year`s Copa America tournament in Argentina. IANS